Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi
This Monster Wants to Eat Me

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If you've been following recent manga trends you've most likely noticed a new-wave sub-genre of monster-girl supernatural dramas I like to call "waifu eat waifu protec".

They tend to have a similar premise - a monstrous shapeshifter of tremendous power is "protecting" a tormented protagonist from an array of supernatural entities wishing to "eat" them. However, said "protector" has an ulterior motive, which is to consume the said protagonist themselves once certain conditions are met.

"A Monster Wants to Eat Me" is no exception to this, however I believe it manages to set itself apart from the rest by having great sense of direction and pacing.

- "Green ... was the silence, wet was the light, the month of June trembled like a butterfly..." (Art & Atmosphere)

The major element setting this work apart from its siblings is the atmosphere. From the very beginning you get to feel the melancholy of the main character and their world. The pensive sadness they are experiencing is always looming over their shoulder and even during moments of levity it manages to remain unshaken. It works as a cornerstone for all other aspects of the manga which makes you believe that the author has a very clear idea of what they wish to accomplish with this work.

While arguably not the most outstanding in the sub-genre the art here definitely feels a lot more impactful due to the fact that it manages to maintain the melancholy atmosphere all the way through. Every page is filled with detail and emotion and even the most generic urban background looks like a painting. The double-page spreads are the highlight of every chapter, filled with small details and using lighting and shadows to great effect in order to set the tone of the scenes.

- "Dreams are the touchstones of our characters..." (Story & Characters)

Unlike in other works with similar premises where the main character feels bland or are just a vessel to take the reader along for a ride here the protagonist is an actual individual. Through subtle facial expressions, actions, inner monologues and lighting and shadow compositions of the panels accompanying them you can feel that there's more to characters than the outward appearance presents. The subtext is pretty strong and there are many small details which work as great foreshadowing for things to come.

The story is just beginning to take shape, but as it currently stands it looks fairly simplistic and does not deviate much from the premise description given earlier. At the current stage one could classify it as a mystery drama - there are many questions which have been raised and answers which have been provided were fairly smart and foreshadowed well, however it simply does not have the same pull as the atmosphere.

Additionally, this is as urban fantasy as it gets but there's simply too great of a disconnect from mundane and supernatural - the author went with the most basic of cop-outs to explain why supernatural phenomena are not being talked about on the news.. Maybe they will surprise us with their creativity and if that happens I will be the first to applaud them and change my opinion on this matter. However, until then, while the pacing is superb the actual plotline is the weakest aspect of the manga.

- "And I would have gotten away with it too, if not for those meddling transfer students..."

And now for my personal pet peeve... I simply can't comprehend why this story has to be set in a school.. It serves absolutely no purpose - teachers do not exist, characters don't go to classes or worry about their grades, there's no dramatic element of monsters messing with their school life, etc. It almost feels like the school was chosen as a "default setting" and was not thought through at all. And don't get me started on the one of the stupidest plot holes in this entire thing - you'll know when you see it..

If you look this series up on any manga list aggregators you will notice tags like "Shoujo Ai" or "Yuri". While there are some scenes where certain characters "look" at it each other "longingly" the key is context and it is definitely not the case of "Sappho and her friend". At most we are presented with a twisted friendship and if the author does in fact want to lean that way at the very least they are doing a good job of pacing the development of the relationship, making it seem plausible.

Overall this is an enjoyable read and well worth keeping up with its releases. As long as focus and direction are not lost and all the mystery elements being set-up are executed well this might turn out to be one of the best works in the genre.

I really enjoy this manga for what it is and what its trying to do to make it different from other mangas in this sub-genre. The characters are entertaining to watch and there are some great moments here. There is no bad chapters, although I would say that as the story moves, it becomes more generic. That being said, I really like this one and it has its own strength that made it very unique.

I really enjoy its characters and I like how they managed to keep the cast very tight. There are basically only 3 characters here, but they are written very well ... and they are not 1-dimensional at all. Hinako is presented as your typical manga character that suffers from depression, but I really think that she feels more genuine and different from other mangas, which I really enjoy. Shiori, at first, feels very one-note, but as the story goes, she becomes more fleshed out and although her story feels very generic, I still enjoy her character. Miko is, by a slight margin, the best character because of how surprisingly deep her character is. The cast of characters are entertaining and I really want to get into detail.

I love Hinako's character design. She is very cute, especially with how her hair is drawn and her fashion looks perfect on her. I particularly love a lot of her facial expressions. The way she smiles, her default expression and some of the most harrowing scenes, she has this emptiness and hollowness in her eyes that feels very fitting. I also really like that this portrayal of depression feels very genuine and it doesn't feel over-exaggerated. Yes, her thoughts are very dark at moments, but the writer put in a lot of restraint on when, where and how often it came up in dialogue. She is also very stilted and expressionless, but there are some scenes where her emotion get the better of her. These scenes are very few, so when it came up, it feels very impactful. I also really like that she isn't just sad and miserable all the time. She could still be happy and genuinely feel relieved and grateful with Shiori and Miko for being with her. I really like her character and her character is my favourite, due to me personally connecting with her.

Shiori, by a very slight margin, is the weakest character in the manga. At first, she feels very one-note, as her only purpose is only there to be the change in Hinako's life. That being said, I really like her being this one-note character as it feels like a strong allegory for depression and suicide. As she has mentioned of her desire to eat Hinako alive, she feels like this inevitable being; I think it is a really good allegory for depression and how suicidal thoughts will always looms over you. Although I really like her character development in the newer chapters, I really feel like her backstory feels too generic and it lessens that allegory. Still, I enjoy her character and her mermaid form is genuinely horrifying without it being too much.

Miko is the best character in the manga due to how fleshed out her character feels. She has a lot of quirks that I really enjoy. She often goes to clubs and leave Hinako behind due to her character basically cannot say no to anyone. She is childish at first, but she could be surprisingly mature at some moments. Her feelings for Hinako, mostly stems in guilt rather than love, gives her a lot more depth, as she should be this guardian spirit that protects everyone. I like the scene where she is exposed as the fox spirit and I thought that she would be this evil spirit, but turns out, she just feels guilty and she wanted to do something for Hinako. She cares so much about Hinako and I really enjoy how they immediately resolved their issue.

The art in this manga is amazing. The characters are drawn with so much polish and care. There are some great pages that has very beautiful art and I never see some bad drawing at all. As I said before, I really enjoy Hinako's character design, but I really think that Shiori and Miko is also very good. I love Miko's Fox Spirit form as it feels very raw and horrifying without being full-on horror. The way that her form would always fill the whole panel is also a strong touch. It is a very beautiful manga to see and read.

Overall, I really enjoy the manga so so much. Although it feels very generic here and there, I really do believe that it has a lot of very strong points and I never feel very bothered by the genericness of some stuff. Its portrayal of depressions feels genuine and it has a lot of restraint that I really respect. The characters are amazing and entertaining to see + their interactions are great! I love the manga. I really reommend it.